To Be the Best
by SilverTurtle
Summary: Mickie isn't happy that Tara gave up her title so easily and she takes steps to put the fight back in both of them. Warning: strong language.


**A/N:** _Uh, I may have gone a little crazy._

**Warning:** _Violence and coarse language._

*****'*****

**TO BE THE BEST**

She knew Tara was the best. Madison was an inconvenience on her best day and no challenge for a wrestler of Mickie's caliber. If Tara weren't under Madison's thumb somehow, Mickie knew she'd be able to take the belt and convince Tara that she was better than this. She was better than playing enforcer to a two-bit 'Beautiful People' reject.

When Mickie had first joined TNA she had been excited. She and Tara had history. A lot of history. Some good, some bad, all of it complex. Mickie had known that Tara was one of the best in the industry. She had known that Tara was one of the most formidable women to ever step into the ring. When she'd heard Tara was the reigning champ she was excited for the chance to take on the best, to go head to head with her old rival, to put all her skills and learning to the test and see how far she'd come, to face a challenge of Tara's magnitude and come out on top. It was all she'd wanted all of her career, to earn the title, to be the best by right and might.

And then...and _then_ Tara had gone and screwed it up! She'd laid down without even a fight and _let_ Madison pin her! She'd ruined _everything_!

Mickie had a hard time fighting past her fury to think about that. Why had Tara given up? What hold did Madison have on her? Why the slavish devotion?

Was it that Madison had brought Tara back into the ring after forcing her to retire? Was it just Tara feeling grateful? Or was there something more?

Tara had always been the most fierce and independent woman Mickie had known. She didn't take any crap from anyone, certainly not from amateurs like Madison. She was more likely to break your jaw than listen to your trash talk. That was the Tara that Mickie remembered, and that's _not_ the Tara she's seen in her time on TNA.

The TNA Tara, the one Mickie had come up against time and again, was pathetically devoted to a wrestler far below her skill level. Chained to a girl who she could have taken down with no problem...and yet didn't. She'd been a champion, a winner, the top woman in TNA and she'd thrown it all away to stay on Madison's good side. It made no sense. They worked their whole careers towards those title belts and no self respecting woman would ever give up something won by blood, sweat, and tears. And yet, that's exactly what Tara had done. _And it made no sense!_

Mickie had thought it over for days, weeks, months and there was still no clear answer.

Yes, Madison had gotten Tara her job back after forcing her retirement but their bosses certainly saw now what a powerhouse Tara still was. Her job was safe. Gratefulness only goes so far. The Tara she'd known would have never laid down for anyone. Certainly not for an upstart like Madison. But she had done exactly that. She had given up her title without a fight and ruined all of Mickie's plans.

Mickie could take the title from Madison with no problem, but it wouldn't _mean_ anything. Taking the title from someone so far beneath her skills was disrespectful to herself and to the title fight. Winning the title should be difficult, it should be a battle, it should _mean something_! And it _would_ have meant something to Mickie if she were fighting Tara...Tara was the reason Mickie had even joined TNA, she was unparalleled competition, she was a challenge, she was the only woman in TNA whose skills matched Mickie's own, she was the only woman Mickie would want to win the title from.

But she'd given it all up.

And Mickie hated her for it.

She didn't care what hold Madison had over Tara. She didn't care about Madison at all. Madison was a bug to be swatted.

All she cared about was that Tara had cheapened the title belt by laying down like a dog and letting herself lose. And Mickie hated her.

Hated whatever it was that made Tara so weak. Hated Tara for letting it happen. Hated Tara for making their profession look like a big joke.

Mickie wouldn't stand for it. She wouldn't. She loved her job, she respected her profession, and she would not let anyone ruin that for her.

Every time she and Tara are within sight of each other they fight. Mickie's hatred of all that Tara has become, of her weakness, takes her over and she attacks with nothing held back.

Their fights are not graceful. They're not skillful. They're not anything to be proud of. They're brutal. They're devastating. They're bloody. They're senseless. And they feel so fucking good.

When Mickie's brawling with Tara it's the only time she feels like Tara is really engaged, the only time she feels like she should while in the ring. But the ring has been cheapened, and it's Tara's fault, and so their dogfights are the only place Mickie feels the spirit of competition.

Mickie is certain that eventually she'll be able to beat some sense into Tara. That if she hits hard enough that she'll snap Tara out of whatever spell Madison has her under and she'll get the real Tara back and their real competition can begin. She has to. It has to work. It has to work because it's the only way that Mickie will feel like this all means something. It's the only way to win back her pride in her profession, the only way to redeem all of them.

She'll go through the motions in the ring. But it's the fights out of it that really count. And it'll be that way until Tara is the Tara of Mickie's memories, until Tara reclaims her spirit and passion and takes Madison down, until Tara is the person Mickie can recognize as her rival and can take pride in facing her in the ring.

Mickie loves her job. She loves her profession. She loves climbing in that ring and feeling like a champion. She loves facing opponents who present a real challenge. She even loves her opponents, in a way, for being worthy of being in the ring. But when Tara gave up she took Mickie's love away.

Mickie would have it back. Mickie would fight and rage and win back that love that Tara has stolen, that Tara let Madison stomp all over.

***'***

When Mickie stood in the ring facing Madison she wasn't seeing Madison at all, but the woman standing behind her. The source of all Mickie's wrath. Madison was a mere irritation, a road block in Mickie's path to Tara.

When the bell rang Mickie focused on the woman in the ring with her. She drew Madison in and dropped her as easily as she would a sack of potatoes. Madison was no challenge, no competition, unworthy of the title belt. Mickie's fury at the indignities Madison had put Tara and their profession through rose up and she took the opportunity to pummel the woman. It was easy, so easy, to beat Madison the way Tara should have been able to. Mickie pinned her easily. No challenge. Unworthy.

When Tara stepped into the ring to collect her fallen comrade Mickie stepped in her way. She physically kept her from reaching Madison.

"Why are you so devoted to her?" Mickie questioned softly, for their ears only, "What's happened to you?"

Tara grimaced, "Get out of my way, Mickie." Tara moved forward and Mickie pushed her back, hard. They didn't notice the crowds' enthusiastic cries to their confrontation.

"Tell me," Mickie demanded, "Tell me why you did it."

Tara didn't need Mickie to explain. Her jaw tightened and she closed her eyes briefly before locking them onto Mickie's own, she shoved Mickie's shoulder and forced her back, "Because she wanted me to."

Mickie shook her head, she stepped closer and threw a punch which caught Tara's ribs, her voice was louder as she said, "Not good enough. Why did you do it?"

Tara wheezed a little but gave an answering swing and repeated her initial answer, "Because she wanted me to."

Mickie saw red. She threw a series of quick jabs which caught Tara off guard. She tackled Tara in a wild frenzy and bore her to the ground. She trapped the larger woman beneath her, keeping her pinned. The crowds' wild cheering drowned out Mickie yelling again "Why did you do it?" as she stared furiously into Tara's eyes.

Overcome Tara shouted back, "Because she wanted me!"

Mickie reared back and Tara kicked her off. Stunned, Mickie regained her feet to match Tara again, "What?"

Clenching her fists and looking everywhere but at Mickie, Tara said, "Because she wanted me. My career was over, Mickie. She'd retired me and I didn't have a hope of ever wrestling again. But she brought me back in. She wanted me. Wants me. As a partner. She wants me. She's the only one who does."

Mickie picked her jaw up and ground out, "You stupid bitch!"

Tara's eyes flashed up to finally meet Mickie's again.

"You stupid bitch!" Mickie repeated, "You think she's the only one who wants you? I'm right here! I joined this fucking company for you! So I could have the chance to compete with you again! And you go and ruin it by laying down like a bitch and letting her take the title without a fight! Do you even realize what you did? You turned our careers into one big joke by handing the title to someone who didn't earn it. And for what? To become her little lap dog? To cheapen everything we've stood for? Fuck you, Tara! I thought you were better than that. No, I know you are. So pull your head out of your ass and find your pride, because this person you are right now? She's fucking pathetic."

With that Mickie stormed out of the ring leaving behind an unconscious Madison, a stunned audience, and a shell-shocked Tara.

***'***

Two weeks later, when she stood in the ring, facing Tara she felt Tara was finally back to being the woman Mickie had known, the fierce and formidable force of nature.

She'd heard that after she'd stormed out Tara and Madison had had a huge blowout. Tara had handed Madison her ass on a platter and officially ended their alliance. The execs had loved all the drama and had let them all know it. The videos of that match were spread all over the internet. Her rant had even been auto-tuned into a song.

"Welcome back," Mickie grinned as she locked her eyes on to Tara's. "It's about damn time."

Tara smirked back, "You ready for some real competition from the best?"

Mickie's grin turned feral, "Are you?"

**THE END**

*****'*****

**A/N:** _So, I obviously have some opinions about things. Do you?_


End file.
